Typographical machine



Nov. 3, 1953 c. w. SEAWARD ETAL 2,657,790

TYPOGRAPHICAL. MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1950 INVENTORS c. w. EAWARD ETAL Nov. 3, 1953 TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1950 INVEN'TORS Nov. 3, 1953 c. w. SEAWARD ETAL 2,657,790

TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Filed April 15, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 fig. 5. )4

IN V EN TOR:

W- Y W Nov. 3, 1953 c. w. SEAWARD ET AL ,657,7 0

TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Fil ed April 15, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 c JNVENTORS 3mm M u I ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1953 TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Charles W. seaward, Hamden, Conn., and John Latorraca, Jamaica Plain, Mass., assignors to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application April 15, 1950, Serial No. 156,136

This invention relates to typographical machines, such as Linotype machines of the general organization represented in Letters Patent of the United States No. 436,532 to O. Mergenthaler, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then composed in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter elevated and returned through distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started.

More particularly, it relates to machines equipped with a plurality of magazines containing different matrix fonts and which are arranged to be moved upwardly and downwardly in the machine to bring one or another into operative relation to the assembling and distributing mechanisms. In such machines, the magazines are independently removable and replaceable and, to this end, are arranged on base frames that can be spread apart in order to permit access to the magazine to be removed which, for this purpose, is first located in operative position. Each base frame is equipped with a pivoted magazine lifting and supporting plate which is adapted to be swung upwardly to locate the magazine above the assembler throat in position for removal; Such upward Swinging of the magazine lifting and supporting plate is effected by a pair of magazine supporting arms pivoted in the fixed machine frame at the front and which when swung forwardly will be in position to receive and give support to the magazine during removal. The replacement of a magazine is effected by reversing these operations.

It sometimes happens that the magazines (and particularly the top one) are prematurely disengaged from their base frames, or improperly placed thereon, so that they slide off when the supporting arms are not in position to receive them and, in that case, the falling magazines are likely to cause considerable damage to themselves or to other portions of the machine, as well as injury to the operator. For this reason, it is now common practice (see the Mead Patent No. 1,860,863) to equip each base frame with a pair of latches which act to maintain the magazine in place thereon except when the magazine supporting arms are in place. However, once the magazine has been lifted clear of the low stop shoulders on the base frame, the latches are no longer effective, and the danger of a falling magazine is 11 Claims. (01. 199-45) still present. This danger arises particularly in the case of a replacement magazine, which after being seated on the lifting and supporting plate must be lowered back into place on the base frame by the reverse movement of the magazine supporting arms, that is to say, when the supporting arms are swung rearwardly from active to inactive position. There is thus ample opportunity for the magazine to slide forwardly when the supporting arms are not in position to receive it, even though the magazine may be properly seated on the lifting and supporting plate. For instance, if during the lowering movement of the lifting and supporting plate a matrix should be protruding from the magazine, such matrix will engage an adjacent part of the machine and tilt the magazine upwardly from its seat on the lifting and supporting plate, leaving the magazine free to slide forwardly by gravity out of the machine. According to the present invention, specifically, the magazine lifting and supporting plate is equipped with an automatic locking device to prevent the disengagement of the magazine therefrom except when the plate is in its upwardly swung position. At this time, the magazine is ready for removal and the magazine supporting arms are in place to receive it after it has been disengaged from the plate and drawn forwardly by the operator. In one form of the invention illustrated, safety means are also provided to prevent the lowering of the lifting and supporting plate unless the magazine is properly seated thereon. Hence, it will be seen that the invention takes care of all contingencies, eliminating practically all danger of falling magazines without interfering in the slightest degree with the customary method of removal and replacement.

The construction and operation of the improved parts will best be understood from the detailed description to follow.

While as above stated the invention is intended for use more particularly in machines of the multiple magazine variety, it is also applicable to machines of the single magazine variety.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a Linotype machine equipped with the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the magazine lifting devices, showing a magazine in raised position for removal and with the locking device in its magazine releasing position;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a. side elevation of the parts shown position of 3 in Fig. 2, but with the magazine in its lowered position, resting properly upon the base frame, and with the magazine lock in action;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an individual base frame, showing in detail the magazine lifting and supporting plate and the magazine locking device carried thereby;

Fig. 6 is a front end view of the parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of the forward portion of the magazine lifting and supportingplatebut equipped with a second form of magazine locking device, shown in active position;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a detail section taken on the line 9-9 of Fi 8.

The matrices are stored according to font in the superposed channeled magazines A, three of which are shown herein but of which a greater or legs number might'be employed,i:if' desired. The several magazines are removably supported upon separate base frames 'A conjoint-1y constituting a shift frame which isarranged to'be moved upwardly and downwardly in the :fixed machine frame in the well-known manner :to bring any selected magazine into operative :relation to the assembler throat 'B at the lower end and the distributingmechanism (not shown) at the upper end. Each of the magazines is provided with a series of-rnatrix releasing escapements D which, when the selected magazine is brought into operative position, are actuated under control of the keyboard mechanism in the usual way.

Each base frame is provideduwith a central magazine lifting and supporting plate E (see particularly Fig. 5) which is substantially as long as the base frame itself and which is located in a corresponding groove or recess E formed in the upper side of the base'frame. At its upper end, the plate E is pivoted to the base frame, as at E thus permitting it to be swung upwardly in liftingthe magazine; and at its lower end it is provided with a stop shoulder E normally engaged in a transverse notch formed in the bottom face of the customary long center bar a on the undersideof the magazine and which thus retains the magazine in place on the plate when the latter is in its raised position.

As usual, the long center bar a on the magazine is located in a corresponding groove E extending throughout the length of the plate 'E. whereby the magazine is guided in a longitudinal direction as it is removed from or applied to the plate during removal or replacement. It may be noted, at this point, that the magazine is also formed on its underside with cross bars a which rest upon the base frame inthe normal the magazine and the upper one-of which protrudes beyond the opposite edges of the magazine to serve as a means of support therefor during removal and replacement (see the dotted line showing in Fig. 1). The long center bar a is attached to the under faces of the cross bars a and thus is spaced from the bottom face of the magazine, as shown in Fig. 2.

The swinging of the magazine lifting and supporting plate 13 of each base frame is controlled or effected by a cam or equivalent device F, arranged near the lower end thereof and fast to a transverse rock shaft F journaled in the base frame. This cam at one edge (Fig; 2) is provided with a notched or hook-shaped lug-1 engage a pin F on the adjacent edge of the plate E and thus lock the latter in its proper raised position. At its opposite edge, the cam F is provided with another lug F arranged to engage the adjacent edge of the plate E. The twolugs thus serve as guides for the plate E during its swinging movements andprevent any edgewise displacement atits lower end when th plate is raised out of the groove E of the base frame. The cam F is limited in its downward movementbya stop piece F on the base frame (see Fig. 4). It may also be noted that the cam F lis-provided with aleaf spring F which, in the downward-position of the cam, is placed under tension by the. overlying plate E, the purpose being to maintain the cam in contact with the stop piece Fiend thereby locate the rock shaft F in a definite predetermined position, for reasons presently to appear.

The transverse rock shafts F for operating the-cams F (which raise and lower the megazines-with respect to theirbase frames) are operated by ac0mmon device, the shafts being provided with means-which are automatically coupledwith such device for operation thereby as the. respective magazines are moved into operative position, it being recalled that a meanzine must be moved into operative position in order to be removed.

-=Asshown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the commandevicereferred to includesin part a short stub shaftG journaled in a bracket H fixed at the left of the machine and in coaxial alignment with the rock shaft F associated with the magazine in operative position. At the right end of the shaft G, there ispinneda collar G formed in its face with a groove (3 which, in the normal position of the parts, extends in the direction of movement of the shift frame. At the left endof each rock-shaft-F there is pinned a collar F" formed with a tongue F which is in alignment with the groove G when its associated magazine is restingonits base frame. Consequently; as a magazine is raised or lowered into operative position by the-movement of the shift frame, the tongue F of its associated rock shaft will enter into the groove (3- formed in the collar G thus-eifectively'coupling the rock shaft F and the stub shaft G together. The spring 1", before alluded to, insures the location of the shaft F in such" coupling relation. If now the shaft ;G is turned ina forward direction, the coupled rockshaft-F willzlikewise be turned thereby in the same direction-to raise the supporting plate E and lift the corresponding magazine off of its baseyframe, as shown in Fig. 1 ,in the .case of the, top magazine.

And similarly, when a replacement magazine hasbeen located on the supporting plate E, the return movement ofthe stub shaft G'to its normal position will lowersuchmagazine' onto the base frame, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, again referring to the top magazine.

:The stub shaft G is operated by one of a pair of magazine supporting arms K (the second one not; shown) pivotally mounted, as at K on the fixed-bracket H and connectedby a link K to a small crank arm K pinned to the stub shaft (see ;shaft,G will be rotated through an angle of to lift the magazine inoperative position off its adapted, when the cam is turned upwardly. o 7 flS? frame throushthe. medium of the plate 1!. to

a position for removal, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 1; whereas when the movement of the magazine supporting arm is reversed, a replacement magazine previously seated on the plate E will be lowered into position on the base frame, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The stop shoulder E on the plate E will serve to hold the magazine in place at all times, not only in the raised position of the plate but also in the lowered position thereof. Each base frame, as always, is formed at its forward end with low stop shoulders A standing in front of the foremost cross bar a on the magazine, but the stopshoulder E is reliedupon for the fore-and-aft alignment of the magazine. As an aid to the operator in removing the magazine from and applying it to the plate E, the latter is provided at its forward end with a guide piece E presenting at its upper edge a forwardly and upwardly inclined surface E rising from the upper surface of the plate. The guide piece E is formed with a centrally located notch E (flared at its forward side) registering with the groove E in the plate E to accommodate the long center bar a. on the magazine.

As thus far described, the parts and their mode of operation are or may be substantially the same as embodied in the commercial machines but, for further details, reference may be had to the McNamara Patent No. 1,586,316 and the Mead Patent No. 2,157,795.

Coming now to the present improvements, reference will first be made to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the magazine lifting and supporting plate E is provided at its forward end, just in advance of the stop shoulder E with an automatic looking device in the form of a transverse plate L attached to the front face of the guide piece E by cap screws L passing through elongated slots L the screws L serving also as the means of attachment of the guide piece to the plate. The locking plate L is formed with a notch L which, in the magazine releasing position of the plate, registers with the flared notch E in the guide piece E to accommodate the long center bar a. of the magazine. However, at the right end of the notch L the plate L is formed with an overhanging lug or hook L which, in the magazine locking position of the plate, is adapted to overlie the long center bar a of the magazine and prevent its disengagement from the stop shoulder E on the plate E (see dotted lines in Fig. 3) but which, in the magazine releasing position of the plate, is adapted to stand clear of the center bar a and permit its disengagement from the stop shoulder E (see Fig. 2). Normally the plate L is maintained in its magazine locking position by means of a small compression spring L housed in a recess formed in the left end of the guide piece E and reacting against a nose L5 formed on the plate L. However, when the magazine is moved into position for removal, the plate L will be moved to and held in its magazine releasing position, against the action of the spring L by the lug F on the lifting cam F, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this connection, it is pointed out that the nose L is formed with a cam surface L which is engaged by the lug F just before the cam F reaches its final position, the pitch of this cam surface being sufficient to move the plate L from its magazine looking to its magazine releasing position.

It will now be seen that the locking plate L will act at all times to hold the magazine in place upon the lifting and supporting plate E exceptwhen that plate occupies its upwardly swung position and when the magazine supporting arms K are in position to receive and give support to the magazine after its disengagement from the stop shoulder E. It will also be seen that after the replacement magazine has been placed on the plate E and engaged with the stop shoulder E the locking plate L will be allowed to return to its locking position, under the influence of the spring L the instant the lug F passes onto the cam surface L during the initial movement of the cam F in lowering the plate E back into position upon the base frame. During this initial movement of the cam F, the magazine supporting arms K remain in magazine receiving position, so that if by any chance the locking plate L were not allowed to act (due, for instance, to the improper seating of the magazine upon the plate E), no serious damage could result. But, once the magazine is properly seated on the plate E, the locking plate L becomes almost immediately effective and guards against any danger of the magazine being lifted-acoidently or unintentionally from the plate E during the lowering movement thereof. And, of course, the locking plate L continues to exercise its safety function after the magazine has been lowered into place upon its base frame and despite any lifting force which might be exerted on the magazine, for one cause or another, during the movement of the shift frame in changing magazines.

I Reference is now made to Figs. '7 to 9, which show an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the magazine lifting and supporting plate E is provided with an automatic locking device in the nature of a detent M slidably arranged in a. transverse recess formed in the upper face of the plate E to the rear of the guide piece E A cover plate M attached by screws to the plate E, holds the detent in place and permits ready assembly of the parts. At its inner end, the detent is designed to overlie the bottom wall of a semi-circular recess a formed in the upper face of the long center bar a on the underside of the magazine. At its outer end, the detent has a depending lug M which limits its inward movement and which is formed with an inclined slot M engaged with a pin M rising from the rear end of a fore-and-aft actuating slide M arranged in a recess formed in the under face of the plate E. The slide M is held in place by a pair of cap screws M passing through elongated slots M formed therein. A short tension spring M pulls rearwardly on the slide M and serves constantly to move it toward the rear and, -throughthe pin and slot connection M M to :maintain the detent M in its magazine locking position, as shown in all three figures. The movement of the detent M to magazine releasing position is effected, as in the first embodiment, by the magazine lifting movement of the cam F. In this instance, however, the notched lug F is utilized for the purpose, this being accomplished by attaching the stop pin F to the slide M rather than directly to the plate E.

According to this alternative arrangement, when the magazine lifting and supporting plate E is swung upwardly to locate the magazine in position for removal by the movement of the magazine supporting arms K to their receiving and supporting position, the lu F as the cam F nears the end of its stroke, will first engage the stop pin Fi and then move the slide M forward to withdraw the locking detent M from enga mens'with the magazine be: a, thus permitting memasaaine to be disengaged from the stop shoulder E by an upward tilting movement and then drawn forward by the Operator from the plate E. The forward movement of the slide M will be limited by its engagement with the front wail'of the recess in which it is located and hence the stop pin F will act, as usual, to arrest the cam F in its final position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 8. After a replacement magazine has been seated on the plate E, the locking detent M will become engaged therewith, under the influence of the spring M', during the initial downward movement of the cam F, just as in the case of the first embodiment.

While not wholly necessary, additional means are provided in this second embodiment to prevent the magazine lifting and supporting plate E from being lowered unless the magazine ha been properly seated thereon, that is to say, unless the long center bar a on the magazine has been properly engaged with the stop shoulder E on the plate E. Such means, in the present instance, consist simply of a small plate N attached to the rear edge of the notched lug F and extending a short distance beyond it so as to engage the lug M on the locking detent M whenever the detent fails to return to its locking position during the initial downward movement of the cam F. Such a condition will arise if a magazine is not properly seated on the plate E, since the detent M will be blocked against inward movement by engagement with an unnotched part of the magazine bar a. If, however, the magazine bar a is seated properly in the groove E of the plate E, the semicircular recess a will be in position to receive the detent and the lug M will stand out'of the path of the plate N. In this connection it may be noted that the outer face of the lug M is shown as inclined although it need not be.

While two different embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, these are intended to be merely by way of example, as obviously many variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical machine equipped with a matrix magazine,'a base frame upon which it is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base frame, means for swinging said plate upwardly to locate the-magazine in position for removal or replacement, and means mounted on said plate for supporting the magazine in place thereon, the combination therewith of a locking device carried by the magazine lifting and supporting plate and independent of the magazine supporting means to prevent the magazine from being disengaged therefrom, and means actuated by the plate swinging means for releasing the locking device in the upwardly swung position of the plate.

2. In a typographical machine equipped with a matrix magazine, a base frame upon which it is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base frame, means for swinging said plate upwardly to locate the magazine in position for removal or replacement,

and means mounted on said plate for supporting the magazine in place thereon, the combination therewith of a locking device independent of the ma azinesupportm means to prevent the maga- 8 zine from being disengaged therefrom, and means actuated by the plate a means for releasing the locking' device in the upwardly 's'wu'ng position of the plate.

3. In a typographical machine equipped with I. m'a'trix magazine, a base frame-upon which it is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base frame, means for swinging said plate upwardly to locate the mag-azine in position for removal or replacement, and means mounted on said plate for sup porting the magazine in place thereon, said magazine being tiltable upwardly with reference to the magazine lifting and supporting plate to dis engage it from its supporting means, the com"- bination therewith of a locking device normally engaged with an underlying part carried by the magazine to prevent such upward tilting of the magazine, and means actuated by the plate swinging means for releasing said locking device in the upwardly swung position of the plate.

4. In a typographical machine equipped with a matrix magazine, a base frame upon which it is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base rame near the upper end thereof, means mounted on said plate for supporting the magazine in place thereon, a rock shaft journaled in the base frame near the lower end thereof; a cam fastto the rock shaft and arranged to' engage the lower end of the magazine lifting and supporting plate, a pair of magazine supporting arms m'ovable to and from operative position,'and connections between one of said arms and the rock shaft for rotating the latter in raising and lowering the lifting and supporting plate, the combination therewith of a locking device carried by the magazine lifting and supporting plate and independent of the magazine supporting means to prevent the magazine from being disengaged therefrom, and means actuated by the aforesaid cam in the upwardly swung position of the magazine lifting and supporting plate for releasing said locking device.

5. In a typographical machine equipped with a matrix magazine; a base frame upon which it is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base frame, means for swinging said plate upwardly to locate the magazine in position for removal or replacement, and means mounted on said plate for supporting the magazine in place thereon, the combination therewith of a locking device carried by the magazine lifting and supporting plate and independent of the magazine supporting means to prevent the magazine from being disengaged therefrom, means actuated by the plate swinging means for automatically releasing said locking device when the magazine lifting and supporting plate is in its upwardly swung position, and means for preventing the downward swinging of the magazine lifting and supportingplate except when the magazine is properly seated thereon.

6. Ina typographical machine equipped with a matrix magazine, a base frame upon which it is removably supported a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base frame, means for swinging said plate upwardly to locate the magazinein position for removal'or replacement, and means mounted on said plate for supporting the magazine in place thereon, the combination therewith of a locking device independent of the magazine supporting means to prevent the magazine from being disengaged therefrom, means actuated by the plate swinging means for releasing the locking device in the upwardly swung position of the plate, and means for preventing the downward swinging of the magazine lifting and supporting plate when the magazine locking device occupies its magazine releasing position except when the magazine is properly seated On said plate.

7. In a typographical machine equipped with a matrix magazine, a base frame upon which it is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted to the base frame and adapted to be swung upwardly to locate the magazine in position for removal or replacement, and means mounted on said plate for supporting the magazine in place thereon, said magazine being tiltable upwardly with reference to the magazine lifting and supporting plate to disengage it from its supporting means, the combination therewith of a releasable locking device carried by the magazine lifting and supporting plate and normally engaged with an underlying part carried by the magazine, to prevent such upward tilting of the magazine, and means controlled by said locking device in its magazine releasing position to prevent the downward swinging of the ma azine lifting and supporting plate except when the magazine is properly seated on said plate.

8. The combination according to claim 4, including means rendered operative by the magazine locking device when in its magazine releasing position to prevent the lowering movement of said plate by the cam except when the magazine is properl seated on said plate.

9. The combination according to claim 4,

wherein the cam-actuated means for moving the magazine locking device to its releasing position includes a spring-actuated slide connected to the locking device by an inclined pin and slot connection.

10. In a typographical machine, the combination of a matrix magazine provided on its underside with a longitudinally extending center bar, said bar near its lower end being formed with a transverse magazine retaining notch, a base frame upon which the magazine is removably supported, a magazine lifting and supporting plate pivoted near its upper end to the base frame, said plate being formed with a longitudinal groove to accommodate the center bar of the magazine and provided at its lower end with a stop shoulder normally engaged in the transverse retaining notch of the magazine center bar, said stop shoulder being disengageable from the retaining notch by an upward tilting movement of the magazine with reference to the lifting and supporting plate, a locking device carried by the magazine lifting and supporting plate and engaged with the center bar of the magazine to prevent the upward tilting of the magazine, said locking bar presenting a portion which overhangs a part of the center bar, and a spring connected to the locking device and acting to hold it yieldingly in its locking position.

11. The combination according to claim 10, including means mounted in the base frame for swinging the magazine lifting plate upwardly about its pivot to locate the magazine in position for removal or replacement, and means actuated by said plate swinging means for disengaging the locking device against the action of its spring from the magazine center bar to permit the upward tilting of the magazine for removal.

CHARLES W. SEAWARD. JOHN LATORRACA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,193,558 Kennedy Aug. 8, 1916 2,157,795 Mead May 9, 1939 

